Strip aligning means



April 25, 1939. l. s. BODKIN A 2,156,038

STRIP ALIGNING MEANS Original Filed Feb, l0, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR y April 25, 1939.

l. S. BODKIN STRIP ALIGNING MEANS original Filed Feb. 1o, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 l. S. BODKIN STRIP ALIGNING MEANS Original Filed Feb. l0, 1932 w l #n INVENTOR April 25, 1939.

April 25, 1939. I l. s. BODKIN 2,156,038

xSTRIP ALIGN'ING MEANS Original Filed Feb. l0, 1932 6 Shets-Sheet 4 EIS Q April 25, 1939. Il. s. BoDKlN STRIP ALIQNING MEANS original Filed Feb. 1o, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTQR W April 25, 1939. l. S. BoDKlN STRIP ALIGNING MEANS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed Feb. l0, 1932 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP ALIGNING MEANS Application February 10, 1932, Serial No. 592,173 Renewed September 22, 1938 29 Claims.

'Ihe invention relates to an improved means for aligning and supporting strips of metal while traveling lengthwise to maintain their edges in proper position or alignment for grinding and/or honing the edges, or both, and/or stropping said edges, and for keeping such edges from contact with undesired objects or parts of the machine that would injure the sharpened edges.

The invention includes inserting individual aligning means successively within the perforations or apertures .of a metal strip which may be used for the making of razor blades, retaining the aligning means within the apertures and guiding the same against vertical and transverse movements while the strip is being propelled for grinding or honing or stropping, successively removing the aligning means from the strip when grinding or honing or stropping'is done, and returning the aligning means to the starting point to be re-inserted into the apertures of the strip.

The invention comprises novel details of improvements that will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a grinding or honing machine, embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a. vertical longitudinal view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3 3, Fig. 2, illustrating devices to feed aligning means to the strip.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section .on line 5 5, Fig. 1, showing interlocked sharpening, such as grinding, or honing, or stropp-ing, wheels.

Fig. 6 is a perspective sectional View of a guide, or track used in guiding the steel strip and retaining the aligning means within the apertures of the strip and against vertical and transverse movements.

Fig. 7 is a section `on line T 'I Fig. 6, showing aligning means retained in the apertures in the strip, while the strip is being propelled in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged edge View of the feeding mechanism for the strip aligning means.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9 9, Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a side view of Fig. 8, showing the feeding mechanism for the aligning means.

Fig. l1 is a section on line II I I, Fig. 8.

Fig. l2 is a sectional and diagrammatic view of the feeding mechanism for the aligning means showing the feeder pawl disengaged from a ball .-:f in one of its positions.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the guiding device for the aligning means.

Fig. 14 is a rear elevation of the feeding device for the aligning means looking from the right hand side of Fig. 13. 5

Fig. 15 is a section on line I5 I5 in Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a section on line I6 I6 in Fig. 14.

Fig. 17 is a side of the steel-strip propellingmeans and discharging mechanism of the align.- ing means.

Fig. 18 is a plan View of Fig. 17 partly in section on line I8 I8, Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a section on line I 9 I 9 in Fig. 17.

Fig. 20 is a detail view showing a section of the retainer for the aligning means to resist down- 15 ward thrust of the sharpening wheel.

Fig. 21 is a similar view of retainer for the aligning means to resist upward thrust of the sharpening wheel.

Figs. 22 and 23 are sectional views showing the 20 aligning means supporting the steel stripagainst downward and upward thrusts, respectively, of the interlocked sharpening wheels.

Fig. 24 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the aligning means in the apertures of 25 the steel strip and in the retainer for supporting the strip for grinding, honing or stropping while the strip is propelled in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 25 is an enlarged section of another device 30 to feed aligning means to the strip.

VFig. 26 is an enlarged edge section on line 26 26 in Fig. 25 of the modified device for feeding the strip aligning means.

Fig. 27 is a section on line 2'I-2'I in Fig. 26.

Fig. 28 is an enlarged section on line 28-28 in Fig. 26 and Fig. 29 is a perspective section of the strip aligning means and the modified means for feeding same.

The main frame I of the machine may be of any desired construction, being'shown provided with a main drive shaft 2 which may be operated by a motor 3 or in any desired way. The strip of steel A to be sharpened may be supplied on a 45 reel 4 journaled at 5 on frame I in a known way. The strip A is shown provided with spaced apertures a adapted to receive individual and separate supporting and aligning means B, such as steel balls. The strip travels through a guideway 6, shown located between spaced portions of longitudinal bars 'I whichvmay be secured together by screws 8, (Figs. 20-23), which bars may be supported on frame I by means of standards 9, (Fig. 2). The guideway 6 ts the sides of the g55 Vmay engage and raise the balls, successively, intoV while traveling through the channel. The balls` act as aligning means for strip B by entering -the apertures a therein and thereby resist ver-- tical or edgewise movements of the strip during its travel along the guideway.

The balls or aligning means or members are fed to the guideway 6, and from the guidew'ayv to be returned thereto, for supporting the strip, as follows: Communicating with the charging end of the guideway 6 is a raceway or tube II for the balls,which rises therefrom a suitable distance and descends to a ball-receivingA location, as i1- lustrated in Fig. 3, whereby the balls may roll by gravity or be forced toward the channel I0, from the upper part of the raceway. The balls accumulate (as hereinafter described) at the lower portion of the raceway, and are raised therefrom, successively, by means of one or more rockable pawls I2 which are pivotally carried by a rotative member I3, (Figs. 9, 10 and 12). A block or fitting I4 at the lower end of the raceway has a channel I5 communicating therewith and a vertical slot I6 in one side, (Fig. 11), which receives the reduced' end I2a of a pawl, whereby the latter the raceway. Spaced pawlsare shown pivoted at I1 on member I3 and are normally spring-pressed against stops I8, on said member, by springs I9 connected to said pawls and to said member, (Fig. 10), the ends I2a of the'pawls normally extending beyond the periphery of the member. At an appropriate position is a stop 20 to be engagedby the inclined edge portion I2b of the Y pawl to tilt the latter rearwardly to release it from a ball, during rise of the pawl, (Fig. 10), and as the pawl passes from said stop the pawl will move back against topv I for engagement with another ball, and so on successively as member I3 rotates. A stop dog 2l is normally Yspringpressed into the path of balls rising into the raceway II', the dog being shown pivoted at 22 and pressed by spring 23 into channel I5. The inner under surface of dog Y2I is shown inclined aty 2Ia, (Fig. 12) With the dog in the position shown in Fig. 12, the balls or members B in raceway I I will be sustained, and when a pawl I 2 engages a. ball and lifts it the ball will ride against the surface I2a and move the dog outwardly to permit the ball to pass, whereupon the dog will snap back under the raised balls, and so on successively for each ball. In order to permit theY pawls to operate against the balls in the raceway without injury I provide frictional means for rotating member I3, as follows: A shaft 24 isvjournaled in housing 24a.v and retained by collar-2417, said housing being secured to the main frame I, (Fig. 3), and member I3 is secured to said shaft, as by screw25,a pulley 26 being shown rotatively carried by said shaft, (Fig. 9)'. A fric- Y tion clutch device connects shaftl 24 with pulley 26, including a member 21 secured on shaft 24 and carrying a spring-pressed pin 28 engaging a disk 29Y that is spring pressed against a friction disk 30 that bears against pulley 26. If the pressure. of a pawl I2 against the line of balls `in the raceway is too great (since the balls-are-'maini tained under some pressure against the strip A at the delivery end of the raceway) the pawl will be retarded and the friction driving devices will slip to retard the pawl until the pressure is properly relieved, whereupon the pawl and member I3 may rotate as required.

At the delivery end of the raceway I I the endmo-st ball or member B bears against the unperforated portion of the traveling strip A, in the line of the apertures a, and as the apertures successively pass the row or line of balls the endmost ball will enter an aperture, and so on successively, to be propelled by and with the strip along the guideway I0, the balls advancing by gravity and pressure to enter the apertures a, (Fig. 15).

The strip A may be propelled by any desire-d means. I have shown pressure rolls 3| and 32 bearing against opposite faces of strip A, and suitably journaled on the main frame, (Figs. 2 and 18). A worm wheel 33 on the shaft of roll 32 in mesh with a .worm 34 operated by a belt 35 on pulleys 36 and 3l, driven by shaft 2, causes the rolls 3l and 32 to feed strip A at the proper speed, in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 2 and 17. The balls B will roll and/or be forced into the apertures a of the strip A successively as the strip passes the raceway II, and as the balls roll along the channel I!) the strip will be supported and vertical movement thereof resistedv to permit sharpening itsl edge or edges as the strip travels.

To resiliently adapt the balls or members B to the channel Ill I provide a spring-pressed member or dog 38 adjacent to the meeting ends of channel ID and raceway II, located in a recess 38 in a bar I and pivotally supported at 40, (Figs. 15 and 16). A spring 4I normally presses the memberY or dog 38 toward the balls to assist them in proper location within the apertures a of strip A.

At the delivery end of channel Il! is a return guide or race 42 for the balls, which communicates at the upper end with said channel and at the lower end with the vertical channel I5, said gui-de or race inclining downwardly to deliver the balls by gravity to channel I5, (Figs. 2 and 10) At the delivery end o-f channel II), opposite the guide or race 42,l is a stop or block 43, shown having a curved inner surface 43a, (Figs. 18 and l 19), to cause the balls, successively, to be pushed out of the apertures a of strip A, to travel through the guide or race 42, after the edge portionv or portions of the strip have been treated o-r sharpened. Thus, as the strip propels the balls with it along channel I0 and the balls successively engage the stop 43 they will be deflected from. the strip, which may pass on.

Any suitable means may be provided for treating or sharpeningthe edge or edge portions of the strip. I have illustrated a pair of adjacent grinding disks 44 and 45, journaled in uprights 46 and 4l on frame I, to grind facets o-n opposite sides of the upper edge of strip A, (Figs. 1 and 20). Pulleys on the. shafts of the disks receive belts 48 from pulleys 49 on shaft 2 for driving the disks in the appropriate directions. Other similar disks 50 and 5I may operate along the lower edge portions of the strip A for grinding facets therealong. The disks 50 and 5I may be rotated in the appropriate directions by means of belts 52 on pulleys on the shafts of said disks and on` pulleys 53 on shaft 2. I have also shown honing or stropping disks 54 and 55 (Figs. 1, 5 and 22), oi the grooved or interlocked variety, above Vthel strip A for finishing the ground upper edges of the strip, said disks being driven by belts 56 on pulleys 51 on shaft 2. Corresponding disks at 58 and 59 (Figs. 1 and 23) may operate on the lower ground edge portions of the strip A for honing or stropping the latter, said disks being driven by belts 60 on pulleys 6| on shaft 2.

The finished strip may be received on a takeup reel 62 vjournaled on frame I, or the strip may be cut off into suitable lengths for razor blades, or for other desired purposes. The reel 62 may be rotated by slip cord or belt 63 from a pulley '64a on the shaft of roll 32 and a pulley connected with said reel, (Figs. 1 and 2). Belt 63 is caused to slip on pulley 64 as the diameter' of the Wound strip increases.

In the modified means for feeding the aligning members shown in Figs. 25 to 29 inclusive, I pro- Vide housings 64 and 65 suitably secured to the main frame I. Spacedshafts 66 and 61 are jour# naled in housing 64. Gears 68 and 69 are secured to shafts 66 and 61 and in mesh with each other to enable both shafts to rotate in unison. Pulley 10 is secured to shaftl 61 and is driven b-y belt 1I from pulley 12, which pulley is secured to main shaft 2 (Figs. 25, 26 and 27). Spaced shafts 13 and 14 are mounted in housing 65 and secured in said housing by screws 15 and 16. Pulleys 11 and 18 are rotatively mounted on shafts 15 and 16 and retained by collars 19. Similar pulleys 86 and 8| are secured to shafts 66 and 61 by screws 82 and 83. Belts 84 and 85 are stretched over pulleys 11' and 18 on housing 65 and pulleys and 8| on housing 66, so that when pulley 10 is revolved, belts 84 and 85 will be driven in the direction indicated by the arrows (Figs. 25 and 28). The lower walls vof raceway or tube I I are cut away at 86, allowing tube to fit between spaced feeding belts 84 and 85 and connects with return channel I5 so that aligning balls or members from race 42 can enter between and contact with feeding belts 84 and 85 to be frictionally propelled intoV raceway II and toward the perforated strip A as indicated in Figs. 28 and 29.

When the balls or members B have lled the space in the raceway I I between the feeding belts 84' andi85 andthe perforated strip A, the belts continuing to travel,rwill `rub against the surfaces of the balls, thereby frictionally exerting an upward force to the balls so that when an aperture ofA the perforated strip A presents itself at the delivery end of raceway II, the endmost ball will be forced'into the aperture and so on successively into the other apertures.

In accordance with my invention I am enabled to accurately guide a traveling steel strip to align it in a vertical direction, to resist vertical thrusts of tools thereon, such as grinding, honing or stropping disks or wheels, and to release the strip from the aligning means in a simple and effective way by the utilization of the individual and separate balls or members B which enterand depart from the apertures inthe strip before and after the operation thereon of the disks or tools, the balls engaging the upper and lower walls of apertures a, while at the same time the guiding bars 1 guide the strip as it travels to resist lateral thrusts or pressure of the disks or tools. The bars 1 are provided with longitudinally extending grooves 1a which receive the sharpened edge p0rtions of the strip, and since the ballsv or members B in the channel Ill keep the strip from vertical movements, the edges of the strip areIheld in proper relation to the grinding, honing or strop# ping wheeels and the sharpened edges of the strip are kept out of contact with parts of the machine. Y

In the operation of the machine described herein as illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the metal strip A, to be operated upon, may be supplied on a reel 4 journaled at 5. The strip A is provided with spaced apertures or cutaway portions a, which may be of any desired contour, and passes through a guideway 6 formed in the longitudinal bars 1, shown more particularly in Fig. 6, and is received at the opposite end of the machine on a take-up reel 62 journaled on the frame of the machine. If desired, the strip may be cut into suitable lengths for razor blades or the like as it leaves the machine. In passing along the guideway 6 through the machine, the upper edge of the strip may be ground and sharpened by disks 44 and 45 (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 20) and the lower edge may be ground and sharpened by similar disks 50 and 5I (Figs. 1, 2 and 21). Thereafter, the sharpened 'upper edge of the strip may be stropped or honed by the disks 54 and 55 (Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 22) and the lower edge may be stropped or honed by the disks 58 and 59 (Figs. 1, 2, and 23). eral honing and sharpening disks may ably driven by pulleys and operatively connected to the main drive shaft 2 (Fig. 2) extending longitudinally of the machine.

The strip, during its passage through the machine, is held with its edges out of contact with the bottom and top of the guideway 6 by means of members, such as the balls B passing along the guideway I Il, provided therefor. The balls B fit into suitable apertures in the strip to guide erably, the balls B are fed to the channel I0 in the guideway 6 and to the apertures in the strip by an inclined chute II .leading to thechannel I 0, as shown more particularly in Figs. V1, 13, 14, 15 and 16. As each 'aperture in the strip is presented; a ball enters and is carried along the channel I9 until it reaches the end thereof where the curved member 43 ejects the balls from the apertures into the downwardly extending chute .42, as shown more particularly in "Figs, 1, 17, 18,

and 19. The balls rollk by gravity along the chute 43 until they reach the front end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2. The vertical portion of the vice, comprising a'pair of belts shown in Figs. 25 to 28, for raisin the deliveryend of the chute II.'

As various changes may be made in the form, construction andA arrangement of parts without be interpreted ing sense. Having now described my 'invention what I claim is:'l

' 1. Aligning means for a metal strip to be sharpened including guiding means for the strip aligning members for saidrnetal strip, means toguide said aligning members, means to propel the strip, a raceway communicatingwith the guide for the members 'adapted to receive said aligning members, a movable pawl to advance the members in the raceway, means to operate the pawl, and a dog to resist backward movement of the members along the raceway.

2. Aligning means as in claim 1 in which the dog is provided with means to be engaged by the pawl for moving the dog out of the path of theA aligning members.

3. Aligning means as in claim 1 provided with means to move the pawl to release the dog to permit the latter to oppose the members in the raceway.

4. Aligning means fora traveling apertured metal strip to be sharpened including guiding means for the strip and a channel for strip aligning members, a raceway communicating with the channel, means to advance aligning members through the raceway to apertures in the strip for travel through the channel, discharge means in the channel to engage members in the apertures of the strip to discharge said members from the strip into the return guide and a. return guide for the members in communication with the channel, said guide being in communication with the raceway to return discharged members to said advancing means.

5. Aligning means as in claim 4 in which the advancing means are below the channel and the return guide extends in a downward direction from the channel to the advancing means to direct the discharged members thereto by gravity.

6. Aligning means for an apertured metal strip to be sharpened including guiding means for the strip anda channel for strip raceway for the aligning members communicating with the channel, a yieldable member to engage the aligning members in the channel adjacent to the delivery end of the raceway to assist in locating the members in the apertures of the strip, means tc advance the members through the raceway to the channel, and means to propel the strip through the guiding means.

7. Aligning means for a continuous apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, guiding means communicating with the channel to successively direct individual disconnected aligning'v members for insertion into the apertures of the strip within the channel, means separate from the strip to engage and discharge the members successively from said apertures of the strip and from said channel, and a raceway for receiving the discharged members Yand for returning them successively into the apertures of the strip.

8. Aligning means for an apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a'channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, guiding means communicating with the channel to separately and successively advance disconnectedaligning members into the channel and into the apertures ofthe strip during the travel of the latter, means separate from the strip to engage and discharge said members successively fromV the travelling strip, and raceway for returning the discharged members ina closed path successively into the apertures of the strip.

9. Aligning means for a recessed met-al strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway communicating with the channel, and vmeans to lsuccessively advance inaligning members, a

Vmemloer, a

dividual disconnected aligning members through the raceway into the recesses in the strip within the channel, means to cause said members to be discharged from the strip and the channel, and a return guide to receive and return discharged members successively to the advancing means, whereby said aligning members move in a closed path.

10. Aligning means for a recessed metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway communicating with the channel, and means to advance individual disconnected aligning members through the raceway into the recesses in the strip within the channel, said advancing means including a movable pawl to engage the members to advance them to the raceway and also including means to operate said pawl to successively advance the members, means to cause said members to be discharged from the strip and the channel, and means for returning the discharged members to said raceway.

1l. Aligning means for a recessed metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway: communicating with the channel, means to advance individual disconnected aligning members through the raceway into the recesses in the vstrip Within the channel, means to cause said members to be discharged from the strip and from the channel and means for returning the discharged members to said raceway, said advancing means including a rotative member, means to operate the rotative pawl pivotally carried by the member and having a portion to engage and advance aligning members into thevraceway, and means to resist the return of the advanced members.

12. Aligning means for a slotted metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, Ameans' to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway communicating with the channel, and means to forcibly advance individual aligning members through the raceway intoV the slots of the strip WithinY the channel, means to discharge the members from the slots and from the channels, and Vmeans for returning the discharged members to said raceway, said forcing means for the aligning members including feeding means to engage the walls of the members to advance them throughthe raceway.Y

13. Aligning means for a metal strip to be sharpened, having cutaway portions therein, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway communicating with the channel, and means to forcibly advance individual aligning members through the raceway into the cutaway portions Vof the strip within the channel, and means to vdischarge the members from the cutaway portions and from the channel into said raceway,

said forcing means including belts to engage the walls of the members toadvance them through the raceway.

' 14. Aligning means for a metal strip-to be sharpened, having cutaway portions therein, vincluding guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway communicating with the channel, and means to forcibly advance individual aligning members through the raceway into the cutaway portions of the strip within the chann-el, and means to disch-arge the members from the cutaway portions and from the channel into said raceway,

vsaid forcing means including spaced frictional feeding belts to engage opposite walls of the aligning members to feed said members through the raceway and into the cutaway portions of the strip, and means to operate said belts.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination of a guideway for a strip of material to be sharpened, said guideway being adapted to receive individual disconnected aligning members for aligning said strip, means for feeding said aligning members to said guideway, means for removing said members from the guideway, and a raceway for returning said discharged members to the feeding means, said feeding means being effective upon the members in said raceway.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination of a guideway for a strip of material to be sharpened, said guideway having a channel associated therewith adapted to receive individual disconnected aligning members for aligning said strip, means for sharpening an edge of the strip, means for feeding said aligning members one at a time to said channel to guide the strip past the sharpening means, means for removing said members from the channel after they have passed the sharpening means, and a raceway for returning said discharged members to the feeding means whereby said members move in a closed path and in a single row.

17. In an aligning means of the class described, the combination of a guidaway for a strip of material to be sharpened, said strip having recesses therein, said guideway being adapted to receive individual disconnected aligning members for aligning said strip, and friction driven means for feeding said aligning members to said guideway and for forcing said members into said recesses.

18. In an aligning means of the class described, the combination of a guideway for a strip of material to be sharpened, said strip of material having recesses therein, said guideway being adapted to receive individual disconnected aligning members for aligning said strip, friction driven means for feeding said aligning members to said guideway and for forcing said members into said recesses, means for removing said members from the guideway, and means for returning said discharged members to the feeding means.

19. In an aligning means of the class described, the combination of a guideway for a strip of material, said guideway being adapted to receive individual disconnected aligning members for said strip to guide the strip along said guideway and prevent damaging of the edge thereof, a raceway adapted to receive said individual disconnected members from one portion of the guideway and to deliver them to another portion thereof, a portion of said raceway being inclined upwardly, and means for forcing said members along said upwardly inclined raceway into s-aid guideway.

20. In an aligning means of the class described, the combination of a guideway for a strip of material, said guideway being adapted to receive aligning members for holding said strip in proper position therein, a raceway for said aligning members from one portion of said guideway to another portion thereof, and a belt for engaging said members in said raceway for forcing said members along the raceway into said guideway.

21. Aligning means for a continuous apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, an inclined guideway adapted to receive a series of aligned disconnected aligning members and communicating with the channel to successively direct said members for insertion into the apertures of the strip within the channel, said aligning members being adapted to move with the strip past the sharpening means, means for delivering aligning members to said inclined guideway, a raceway for conveying the aligning members to said delivering means, and means separate from the strip to engage and positively eject the members successively from said apertures of the strip and from said channel into said raceway.

22. Aligning means. for an apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, disconnected spherical aligning members for aligning the strip in said guiding means, a raceway having an inclined portion communicating with the channel to separately and successively advance the spherical aligning members into the channel and into the apertures of the strip during travel of the latter, and means separate from the strip and projecting into the channel on one side of the strip to engage and expel said spherical members successively from the apertures of the travelling strip into said raceway.

23. Aligning means for a continuous metal strip having recesses therein, including guiding means for holding the strip in a substantially vertical plane, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip in vertical position along the guiding means and the channel, disconnected spherical aligning members adapted to fit into said recesses and into said channel to align the strip, a raceway communicating with the channel and extending laterally therefrom, and means to successively advance individual spherical members through the raceway into the recesses in the strip within the channel and means in the channel to positively eject said spherical members from the strip and the channel, and means for receiving the ejected members and delivering them to said advancing means.

24. Aligning means for an apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, a channel associated with said guiding means, strip aligning members adapted to rlt in said apertures and to pass along said channel, a raceway communicating with the channel to guide said members thereto, a pawl to advance the members into the raceway, a rotative member pivotally carrying the pawl, and means to rotate said member including friction means to permit the rotation of the member tobe retarded.

25. Aligning means as in claim 24 provided with a stop to engage the pawl to release it from the aligning members.

26. Aligning means as in claim 24 provided with a stop to engage the pawl to release it from the aligning members, and a dog to resist return of the members advanced by the pawl.

27. Aligning means for a continuous apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means Cil and the channel, guiding means communicating .with channel, means to propel individual discon- .Anected aligning members along said guiding means and to force them into the apertures of the strip Within the channel, means separate from the strip Ato engage and discharge the members successively from the apertures voi' the strip and from ,the channel, and a raceway for receiving said discharged members and delivering them to said propelling means.

28. Aligning means for an apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, said means having a channel, means to propel the strip along the guiding means and the channel, a raceway adapted to receive individual .aligning members from the channel and return them to the channel, and positive operating means to engage and advance the individual aligning members through the raceway into the apertures 20 of the strip within the channel and means to discharge the -fmembers from the apertures andfrom ,the channel into .the raceway.

29. Aligning Vmeans for acontinuous apertured metal strip to be sharpened, including guiding means for the strip, means to propel the strip along the guiding means, means to `successively insert individual disconnected spherical aligning members into the apertures of the strip in combination with sharpening means for the strip,

means to cause the strip to carry the aligning 

